Music box driven dancing figurine



July 1, 1958 J. E. FAULKNER MUSIC BOX DRIVEN DANCING FIGURINE 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

ii.. le ll/l Filed Jan. 21, 1955 INVENTOR JAM E. FAULKNER ATTORNEY July 1, 1958 J. E. FAULKNER 2,840,949

MUSIC BOX DRIVEN DANCING FIGURINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1955 2 Sheets--Sheetl 2 :zu d.

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NVENTOR JAMES E. FAULKNER ATTORNEY United States Patent O MUSIC BX DRIVEN DANCING FIGURINE James E. Faulkner, Tuckahoe, N. Y., assiguor to Lador, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,306

4 Claims. (Cl. 46-118) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a toy for operating figurines to simulate dancing, the motive power as well as the accompanying music being supplied by a conventional music box. The nature of the invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l shows in elevation a music box with two pairs of dancing figurines to which the invention is applicable;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the music box without the figurines taken through line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the base of the music box taken through line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the detail of the music works;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the music works taken through line 4--4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 illustrates in partial section another embodiment of the invention for actuating the figurines.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in Figs. l to 4, any number and grouping o-f figurines, e. g. the two pairs of figurines 1 and 2 shown in Fig. l, are caused to move up and down and to revolve simulating dancing on a rotating platform 3 which is provided in or above the mouth 4 of a casing 5 whose shape and decoration depends on the scene which it is desired to represent. The casing has a bottom 6 with legs 6.

Both the rotary movement of the platform 3 and the up and down movement of the figurines is produced by a conventional music box having a spring motor in casing 7 which through a shaft 8 rotates drum 9 provided with spikes or hammers 10 operating a reed 11 to produce music depending on the positioning of the spikes 10 on the drum. The spring of motor 7 may be wound up by means of a key 12 accessible at the casing bottom 6.

The motor shaft 8 is rotated by the spring motor 7 through a ring gear 13 which meshes with a pinion 14 fastened to shaft 8. The shaft carries, adjacent the pinion 14, a large gear wheel 15 which engages a pinion 16 mounted on a rotatable shaft 17 carrying a gear wheel 18. The motor as well as the support for the bearing of the drum 9 and the supports for the shaft 17 are mounted on a metal frame 19 which in turn is fastened to the casing bottom. The gear 18 will transmit the rotary motion of the motor shaft to a splined shaft 20, also rotatably mounted in supports projecting from frame 19.

The shaft 20 carries a pinion 21 which engages the screw threaded portion of a vertical shaft 22 rotatably supported in the bracket 23 projecting from the frame 19. The shaft 22 carries a rotatable vane 24 above its screwthreaded portion which acts as a governor and by means of which the rotation of the motor shaft 8 can be stopped. This is accomplished by means of a lever which is pivotally mounted at 25 on the casing bottom 6. One end of the lever 27, by meansof which it may be moved about its pivot, projects through a slot in casing 5, and the other end of the lever 28 is adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the vane 24 adapted to stop its ro tation or allowing it freely to rotate. When it is moved 2,840,949 Patented July 1, 1958 away from vane 24, the end 28 of the lever is held in the rest position on a clip 26 holding the end of the motor spring projecting through the casing 7.

The drum 9 has attached to its end a toothed wheel 29 which rotates with the drum 9. As the toothed wheel 29 rotates, it moves a lever 30 up and down. One end of lever 30 is rockably mounted in a stud 31 projecting from the frame 19. Near its pivot point, the rockable lever 30 is bent to form a right angled arm or kink 32 adapted to ride over the teeth of wheel 29. The other end of the lever 30 carries a plate 33 located above the reed 11. As the lever rides over the teeth of gear 29 the plate 33 rises and falls.

The rotatable platform 3 on which the feet of the figurines rest has a downwardly projecting sleeve 34 which fits over the upper end of a shaft 35 and may be fastened thereto by means of a set screw 36. The shaft 35 carries at its lower end a toothed wheel 37 which meshes with the teeth of the wheel 29, and is thus caused to rotate with the motor shaft 8 and causes in turn the rotation of shaft 35 and, therefore, of platform 3.v

The shaft 35 is held upright within a sleeve 38 projecting from a mounting plate 39 held in a horizontal position on the frame 19 above the gear 37. A disc 40 is slidably mounted on the sleeve 38 and rests against the plate 33 through which lever 30 may cause it to rise and fall. As the disc 40 rises and falls it carries with it pins 41, e2 projecting through sleeves 43, 44 on the rotatable platform 3 and carrying at their upper projected ends yokes 45, 46 on which the pairs of figurines 1 and 2 are.

suspended.

lt will be seen, therefore, that when the spring motor in casing 7 is wound up by means of key 12, and the vane 24 freed for rotation, the platform 3 will revolve with the figurines 1 and 2 which during their revolution with the platform 3 will through the agency of the disc 4f) and pins 41, 42 be caused to move up and down to simulate dancing.

ln a second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5, the same motor mechanism is employed as in the first embodiment but the gear 37 and the associated structure including shaft 35 and platform 3 are eliminated. Fthe casing 5a has its mouth covered by a top 50 through a sleeve Si of which a pin 42a projects provided at its upper end with a yoke 46a which carries any desired number of figurines 1a. The lower end of the pin 42a rests directly or through an intermediate mechanism on the plate 33a which corresponds to plate 33 of the first embodiment. Through the agency of a toothed wheel like 29 and a rockable lever 30, the plate is moved up and down and thus causes the up and down movement of the figurines 1a which will simulate dancing on the stationary platform 50.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations of the embodiments herein disclosed can be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims. For example, plate 33 may be located eccentrically with respect to shaft 35 whereby it will not only effect the vertical movement of the disk 40 but when the figurines are suspended on the yokes of pins like 41 and 42, owing to the frictional engagement of the latter with disk 40, the disk will be caused also to rotate producing a more lifelike movement of the figurines than would be the case if the disk was moved only up and down.

l claim:

l. ln a dancing figurine toy in which musical accompaniment and motive power are provided by a conventional music box having motive means driving a drum provided with spikes engaging a reed, the combination of a rotatable platform on which the feet of at least one figurine normally rest, said at least one figurine being suspended from a yoke at the upper end of pin projecting through and revoluble with said platform, a rotatable vertical shaft carrying at its upper end said platform, a gear fastened to said shaft, a toothed wheel rotatable with saiddrum and meshing with said gear to transmit therethrough rotation tosaid shaft and platform, a pivotallyactuated lever operated by said toothed wheel and adapted'to be moved up and down by engagement with teeth as the Wheel rotates, and a vertically movable disk restingon a -portion of said lever and movable thereby, thelowerend ofthe figurine-carrying pin resting on said disk.

2. VIn "a dancinggurine toy in which musical accompanim'ent and motiverpower are provided by a conven tional music box having a spring motor driving a drum provided with spikes engaging a reed, the combination of arotatable platform on which the feet of figurines normally r'est,'pinsjprojecting through and revoluble with said platform'holdingat their projecting ends the gurines, a'cas'ing enclosing 'the music box, a rotatable vertical shaft/carrying at its'upper end saidA platform, agear fastened to the lower 'end of said shaft, a toothed wheel rotatable with `said drum 'and meshing with said gear to transmit therethrough rotation to said shaft andrplatforrn, a pivotally 'mounted lever rockable byrsaid toothed wheel and'havingan end portion adapted to be moved up and down as the lever'is'rocked by said tooth wheel, a sleeve mounted in said casing surrounding said shaft, and a disk loosely mounted on said sleeve resting on said end portion of the'rockable lever and 'movable thereby, the lower nends of the figurine-carrying pins resting on said disk. Y

V"3. 'In-a dancing figurine toy in which musical accompaniment and motive power Vare provided by a conventional music box having a spring motor driving a drum provided with spikes engaging a reed, the combination of 'a rotatable platform on which the feet of pairs of figurines normallyrest, each pair of figurines being suspended from `a yoke at the upper end of a pin projecting through and revoluble with said platform, a casing enclosing the music box and having an open mouth above which said platform is provided, a rotatable vertical shaft carrying lat its upper end said platform, a horizontal gear fastened to the lower end of said shaft and positioned above said drum, a toothed wheel rotatable with said drum and meshing with said1^ gear to transmit therethrough rotation to said shaft and platform, a pivotally mounted lever with a kinked portion engaging said toothed wheel and having an end porti-on adapted to be moved up and down as the kink of the lever rides over the teeth of the wheel, a sleeve mountedin said casing surrounding said shaft, and a disk loosely mounted on said sleeve and resting on said lever .end portion and imovablethereby, the lower ends Vof the figurine-carrying pins resting on rsaid disk.

4. In a dancing gurine toy in which musical accompaniment and motive power are provided by a conventional music box'having a spring motordriving a drum provided with spikes engaging a reed, the combination of a rotatable platform on which the feet of pairs of figurines normally rest, Veach pair of figurines being suspended froma'v yoke 'at'the upper end of Va pinnprojecting through and revolublewith said platform, a casing enclosing the music boxand havingan Yopen mouth Aabove whichtsaid platform is` provided, a rotatable vertical shaft carrying at itsupper'endfsaid platform,`a horizontal gear fastened to lthe lower end of'said shaft and positioned above said drum, a toothedwheetrotatable with said `drurniand meshing with saidgear'to transmit therethrough rotation to said shaft and platform, a pivotally mounted lever with a kinked portion engaging said toothed wheel and carrying at its end a plate adapted to be'moved'up'and down as the kink ofthe leverrides'over the teeth of the wheel, a sleeve mounted-in'said casing-surrounding said shaft, and a disk loosely mounted'on saidsleeve resting on said plate and movable thereby, the'lower ends of the iigurinecarrying pins resting on said disk.

References Cited in the le of thispatent lUNITED STATES PATENTS V1,348,386 Wronowski Aug. 3, 1920 1,397,832 Balcke etal. Nov, 22, 1921 1,523,154 Yuskiewicz Jan. 13, 1925 1,615,663 Varga Ian. 25, 1927 1,625,955 MOore Apr.'26, 1927 2,646,639 TothV July 28, 1953 

